This invention relates to an assembly for marking a series of containers traveling with a moving conveyor.
It is frequently desirable to mark individual containers traveling in a packaging line or the like with information concerning the contents therein, the location of the packaging plant, or the date when the containers have been filled. As an example, it may be desirable to apply a mark to containers such as beer cans indicating the date when the cans were sealed.
Many previous container marking or stamping assemblies have used electric motors for operating a starwheel or other container engaging mechanism for positively controlling the movement of the containers as they move through the marking or printing station, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,935,015 issued on May 3, 1960 to Wilson et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 2,879,711 issued on Mar. 31, 1959 to Hirschey et al.
Other can stamping systems employ conveyors utilizing drive cogs with each cog engaging an individual can or article for operating a starwheel at the printing station, such as shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 1,006,814 issued on Oct. 24, 1911 to White.
Some article stamping assemblies employ radiating arms each carrying an associated stamp biased downwardly by a single spring. Some assemblies utilize flat or circular inking pads functioning with stamp carriers and operated in synchronism with a moving starwheel engaging the articles to be stamped.